What are the qualities that make up a good scientist? Is it their ability to dress in not so stylish clothing and understand facts and theories that the average person does not? I believe that while this above statement does often prove true, it is not the real essence of what a scientist is. They are innovative problem solvers and are an example of what students could become provided they have effective guidance from a teacher. Scientists and science teachers have a tendency to think very methodically and practically. They put little emphasis on "fluff" in writing and more effort into facts. So in true science teacher/scientist form I will do the same with this teaching philosophy. As a teacher my philosophy is threefold. One part of my philosophy has to do with my goals and my personal behavior in the classroom. The second part has to do with my expectations and goals for my students. The final part of my philosophy deals with striving for students to become problems solvers and learn to use inquiry based thinking.
Part One: As a teacher I will respect my students. From day one I will give outline the classroom rules and expectations (rules and expectations may change depending on the class and age of the students). I will expect that students follow these guidelines in my classroom and as a a result I will treat students with respect. I will strive to be clear and direct with my students in all aspects of the classroom routine. Anything from general classroom instructions, to homework assignments, to in class labs will be as clear as possible. As a new teacher I am sure that I will have to modify my instructions quite often until I figure out the most efficient way to present material to students. I understand that not all students will have a love for science like that of a science teacher. However, I will strive to show students how practical and applicable science can be in the hopes that they will have a greater respect for science, and in turn maybe learn to love it. For example,(I am using this because I will be student teaching at NHS) being a resident of Narragansett should be reason enough for students to be interested in science. The Narragansett Bay is full of opportunities for students to connect science to the practical world around them. They could apply content learned about pollution, species diversity, pH balance, etc. to this one practical application that is right around the corner. At least for the time that I am a teacher I want students to be excited about coming to my class.
Revision: I still hold student respect very highly in the classroom. In addition to gaining student respect I would emphasize the need to develop a positive rapport with students. I believe that this can be done with any group of students as long as respect, routine and high expectations are set in the classroom. Throughout student teaching I did my best to establish a routine, especially with the middle school students. The routine allowed for effective classroom management, and thus a safe and respectful environment. At the high school level I kept expectations high by assisting my cooperating teacher in facilitating a long term student independent research project. They used real world problems as the basis for their experimental design. This enabled them to utilize outside sources that were related to the world around them.
Part Two: One of the most fascinating aspects about science is that fact that it is completely applicable to the real world. In my class students will learn the value of science and how it can be applied to real life. I plan on having a very lab oriented classroom with the textbook being used as a support system (again, depending on the specific science and age group). Instead of text book use I plan on having students use modern up to date science articles and magazines (think NatGeo, Time: Science and Space, etc) to stay connected with the practical science going on in the world today. Because my classroom will have a great deal of hands on science learning, it is critical that my students learn to work together as a team. Working as a member of a team will increase personal responsibility, individual accountability for work, and an overall sense of belonging in individual students. Scientists work together as members of various teams in the real world, so why shouldn't middle and high school students do the same? Scaffolding roles for each of the students to have in the team will give them the responsibility and drive that will help them become an effective team member (For example, one student will be the note taker, one the reader of the procedure, etc.). By working together students will develop respect for their classmates and learn to value one another's differences. Ideally they will then learn to work together to solve problems placed before them and thus become critical thinkers about the problems that face our world today.
Revision: Throughout student teaching my cooperating teacher and I tried to incorporate a "flipping the classroom" plan into our lessons. This model provided an opportunity for more activities in the classroom. The activities as well as the long term research project truly taught students to work as a team and be accountable as an individual member of that team. Other real world applications that I have found truly useful are the NOVA series from PBS. This series has very reliable videos that are useful in the classroom to enhance content.
Part Three: All students should learn to become effective problem solvers no matter what subject they are learning. Science happens to be an excellent subject for a teacher to be able to model and teach these skills. Lab based classes allow for students to take control of their education and asking their own questions and finding their own answers. Many times students just want the answer to a question in order to get it right. However, in science the teacher has a little more power to excite the students about a topic and really make them think. In my classroom I will not give students all the answers, but rather the guided directions and tools so that they may answer the questions themselves. For example, I would give students just enough information to successfully navigate through a lab and data table, but I would not directly tell them what the purpose is, how to interpret the data, or what conclusions should be drawn.
Revision: In addition to giving students enough direction to navigate through a lab and data table I would give them writing prompts, fill in the blank concept maps, and entrance and exit slips that allowed for this type of higher level thinking. I used some of these techniques during student teaching. At the middle school this was usually in the form of a "daily question". At the high school level, the methods varied. All were effective in promoting higher level thinking and problem solving skills among students.
Conclusion: I believe that all my three tiered teaching philosophy is one that is very effective. It outlines the expectations that I have for myself and also outlines the expectations that I have for my students. I truly believe that if I do my absolute best as a teacher I will have a productive and effective classroom. I will have a classroom that thrives on teamwork, respect and problem solving. These are are qualities that can be found in good students and good scientists. However they are not just limited to students and scientists; they can be used in any job area and are qualities that make up a truly well rounded person. After all, isn't that what we teachers are really trying to teach our students?
What are the qualities that make up a good scientist? Is it their ability to dress in not so stylish clothing and understand facts and theories that the average person does not? I believe that while this above statement does often prove true, it is not the real essence of what a scientist is. They are innovative problem solvers and are an example of what students could become provided they have effective guidance from a teacher. Scientists and science teachers have a tendency to think very methodically and practically. They put little emphasis on "fluff" in writing and more effort into facts. So in true science teacher/scientist form I will do the same with this teaching philosophy. As a teacher my philosophy is threefold. One part of my philosophy has to do with my goals and my personal behavior in the classroom. The second part has to do with my expectations and goals for my students. The final part of my philosophy deals with striving for students to become problems solvers and learn to use inquiry based thinking.
Part One: As a teacher I will respect my students. From day one I will give outline the classroom rules and expectations (rules and expectations may change depending on the class and age of the students). I will expect that students follow these guidelines in my classroom and as a a result I will treat students with respect. I will strive to be clear and direct with my students in all aspects of the classroom routine. Anything from general classroom instructions, to homework assignments, to in class labs will be as clear as possible. As a new teacher I am sure that I will have to modify my instructions quite often until I figure out the most efficient way to present material to students. I understand that not all students will have a love for science like that of a science teacher. However, I will strive to show students how practical and applicable science can be in the hopes that they will have a greater respect for science, and in turn maybe learn to love it. For example,(I am using this because I will be student teaching at NHS) being a resident of Narragansett should be reason enough for students to be interested in science. The Narragansett Bay is full of opportunities for students to connect science to the practical world around them. They could apply content learned about pollution, species diversity, pH balance, etc. to this one practical application that is right around the corner. At least for the time that I am a teacher I want students to be excited about coming to my class.
Revision: I still hold student respect very highly in the classroom. In addition to gaining student respect I would emphasize the need to develop a positive rapport with students. I believe that this can be done with any group of students as long as respect, routine and high expectations are set in the classroom. Throughout student teaching I did my best to establish a routine, especially with the middle school students. The routine allowed for effective classroom management, and thus a safe and respectful environment. At the high school level I kept expectations high by assisting my cooperating teacher in facilitating a long term student independent research project. They used real world problems as the basis for their experimental design. This enabled them to utilize outside sources that were related to the world around them.
Part Two: One of the most fascinating aspects about science is that fact that it is completely applicable to the real world. In my class students will learn the value of science and how it can be applied to real life. I plan on having a very lab oriented classroom with the textbook being used as a support system (again, depending on the specific science and age group). Instead of text book use I plan on having students use modern up to date science articles and magazines (think NatGeo, Time: Science and Space, etc) to stay connected with the practical science going on in the world today. Because my classroom will have a great deal of hands on science learning, it is critical that my students learn to work together as a team. Working as a member of a team will increase personal responsibility, individual accountability for work, and an overall sense of belonging in individual students. Scientists work together as members of various teams in the real world, so why shouldn't middle and high school students do the same? Scaffolding roles for each of the students to have in the team will give them the responsibility and drive that will help them become an effective team member (For example, one student will be the note taker, one the reader of the procedure, etc.). By working together students will develop respect for their classmates and learn to value one another's differences. Ideally they will then learn to work together to solve problems placed before them and thus become critical thinkers about the problems that face our world today.
Revision: Throughout student teaching my cooperating teacher and I tried to incorporate a "flipping the classroom" plan into our lessons. This model provided an opportunity for more activities in the classroom. The activities as well as the long term research project truly taught students to work as a team and be accountable as an individual member of that team. Other real world applications that I have found truly useful are the NOVA series from PBS. This series has very reliable videos that are useful in the classroom to enhance content.
Part Three: All students should learn to become effective problem solvers no matter what subject they are learning. Science happens to be an excellent subject for a teacher to be able to model and teach these skills. Lab based classes allow for students to take control of their education and asking their own questions and finding their own answers. Many times students just want the answer to a question in order to get it right. However, in science the teacher has a little more power to excite the students about a topic and really make them think. In my classroom I will not give students all the answers, but rather the guided directions and tools so that they may answer the questions themselves. For example, I would give students just enough information to successfully navigate through a lab and data table, but I would not directly tell them what the purpose is, how to interpret the data, or what conclusions should be drawn.
Revision: In addition to giving students enough direction to navigate through a lab and data table I would give them writing prompts, fill in the blank concept maps, and entrance and exit slips that allowed for this type of higher level thinking. I used some of these techniques during student teaching. At the middle school this was usually in the form of a "daily question". At the high school level, the methods varied. All were effective in promoting higher level thinking and problem solving skills among students.
Conclusion: I believe that all my three tiered teaching philosophy is one that is very effective. It outlines the expectations that I have for myself and also outlines the expectations that I have for my students. I truly believe that if I do my absolute best as a teacher I will have a productive and effective classroom. I will have a classroom that thrives on teamwork, respect and problem solving. These are are qualities that can be found in good students and good scientists. However they are not just limited to students and scientists; they can be used in any job area and are qualities that make up a truly well rounded person. After all, isn't that what we teachers are really trying to teach our students?